Draft controlling device



July 28, 1942. A. e. LANGSTON DRAFT CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 21, I941 JIWMM J2 6.2411 5% Patented July 28, 1942 srarss rarer Claims.

This invention relates to boilers and more particularly to a means for regulating or controlling the draft of a horizontal locomotive boiler.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachment in the form of a stationary baflie which is adapted to be positioned in the smoke box of the boiler at a point forwardly of the smoke stack and forwardly of the nozzle disposed below the stack so as to be positioned in the path of the movement of the smoke and products of cornbustion so as to deflect the smoke and products of combustion.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this kind which can be readily positioned within the smoke box in a plane below the upper end of the steam nozzle.

A further object of this invention is to provide a draft controlling means of this type which includes'a vertically disposed bafile plate formed with downwardly convergent lower edges and with a pair of downwardly and forwardly projecting baffle wings which ar of triangular configuration with the smaller or apex portions thereof disposed in confronting relation and merging with the central or convergent portion of the vertical baffle.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a draft controlling bailie structure of this kind which is so constructed that it may be readily mounted within the interior of the smoke box of a boiler without affecting the arrangement of the parts now present in the smoke box.

To the foregoing objects and to others which may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein are shown embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a boiler having a draft controlling baffle mounted in the smoke box thereof.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on theline 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the baffle structure.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line i-i of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral l0 desi nates generally a boiler structure which has a plurality of fines or tubes .ll positioned therein,

which at their forward ends are crimped crisecured to a forward boiler plate or wall !2. A stack I3 is secured to the boiler It and is extended downwardly as at It into the smoke box i5 of the boiler which ispositioned forwardly of the forward tube or flue wall 52. The smoke box i5 is provided with a forward wall 16 having a removable plate or closure ll engaging about a manhole 68. A steam nozzle [9 is disposed in axial alignment with the smoke stack 13 and the extension i l and is provided at its upper end with a forwardly tapering or frusto-conical nozzle portion 2:3, which terminates at a point belowthe flared lower end 2| of the stack extension I l.

A vertically arranged transversely disposed hanger plate 22 is secured to the cylindrical Wall 23 of the smoke box H5 in a position forwardly of the smoke stack is and the nozzle 19. The plate 22 is provided with a relatively large opening 2A through which the smoke andarticles of combustion are adapted to pass. The opening 25 provides the plate 22 of inverted U-shaped form. The plate 22 is disposed in depending relation with respect to the lower end of the stack l3 and extends below the upper end of nozzle ['9 to a point above the lower end of the latter. The plate 22 has secured to the lower portion of its forward face thereof a transversely disposed and horizontally positioned supporting bar 25. The bar 25 is positioned at a point below the upper end of the nozzle [9 and in order to provide a means whereby the smoke and products of combustion may be deflected downwardly after passing the nozzle 19,1 have provided a vertically disposed bafiie plate 25. The bafiie plate 26 is formed with a horizontally disposed upper edge 21, which as shown in Figure 1 is adapted to engage against the underside of the horizontal bar 25.

The plate 2'6 is provided with arcuate or convex opposite end portions 28 which are adapted to snugly engage against the inner surface of the cylindrical side wall 23 of the smoke box l5 and the plate 26 is fixedly secured to and supported in depending relation from the horizontal bar 25 by means of a pair of right angularly disposed supporting straps 29. The straps 29 have a vertical side 30 secured as by fastening devices 3| to the rear side of the plate 26 and the upper horizontal side 32 of each strap or supporting member 29 engages against the underside of the bar 25 and is secured thereto by fastening devices 33.

The bafiie plate 26 is also supported from the bar 25 by means of a pair of vertically disposed end straps or supporting members 34. The straps or supporting members 34 are secured by fastening devices 35 to the forward side of the plate 26 and the straps 34 are secured to the forward side of the horizontal bar 25 by fastening devices 36. The baflie plate 26 is formed with a downwardly convergent lower edge 31 and a pair of forwardly and downwardly extending triangularly-shaped wings or auxiliary bafile members 38 are formed integral with the plate 26 and extend downwardly and forwardl from the convergent lower edges of the plate 26. The auxiliary triangular-shaped bafile members 38 are disposed with the apices or small ends thereof innermost and merging with the apex of the lower edge of the plate 26 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The auxiliary bafile members 38 are provided with arcuate or convex outer end portions 39 which are adapted to snugly engage against the inner surface of the side wall 23 of the smoke box l5.

The bafiie structure including the plate 26 and the wings 38 are so positioned in the smoke box I and is so formed as to direct the horizontally and forwardly moving smoke and products of combustion in a downward path as shown by the arrows in Figure 1. In this manner, smoke and products of combustion will be required to move downwardly and then upwardly over the baffle plate 26 and between the flared lower end 2| of the smoke stack l3 and the upper end of the nozzle l9.

It has been found that the nozzle 19 forms a whirlpool or a circular movement to the smoke and products of combustion within the smoke box l5 and the baffle structure hereinbefore described will have the effect of partially breaking up this whirlpool so as to retain the heat including the products of combustion and the smoke within the smoke box I5 for a greater length of time. With a baflie structure of this kind, the efiiciency of the boiler is increased due to the retension of the heat in the smoke box which will will have the effect of retarding the passage of the heat through the fiues l I.

What I claim is:

1. In a draft regulating means for a locomotive boiler comprising the smoke box of the boiler a vertically disposed plate having a lower edge V-shaped in front elevation, a pair of triangularshaped wings formed integrally with said lower edge and disposed at an obtuse angle to the forward vertical side of said plate, said wings having the widest portions thereof outermost and their narrowest portions innermost and merging with the convergent portions of said lower edge, a horizontally disposed supporting bar positioned within and below the horizontal center of said box, means for securing said plate to and in depending relation with respect to said bar, a vertical hanger plate of inverted U-shape'd contour arranged within and fixed to said box forwardly of the vertical center of the latter, and means for securing said bar to the lower portion of the forward face of said hanger plate.

2. In a draft regulating means for a locomotive boiler comprising the smoke box of the boiler a vertically disposed plate having a lower edge V-shaped in front elevation, a pair of triangularly-shaped wings formed integrally with said lower edge and disposed at an obtuse angle to the forward vertical side of said plate, said wings having the widest portions thereof outermost and their narrowest portions innermost and merging with the convergent portions of said lower edge, a horizontally disposed supporting bar positioned Within and below the horizontal median and forwardly of the vertical median of said box, a pair of angle members fixed to said bar and to said plate inwardly from the ends thereof, a pair of straps fixed to said baflie adjacent the opposite ends thereof and to said bar, a vertical hanger plate of inverted U-shaped contour arranged within and fixed to said box forwardly of the vertical median and depending below the horizontal median of said box, and means for securing said bar to the lower portion of the forward face of said hanger plate.

3. A draft controlling means for a locomotive boiler comprising the smoke box, the stack and nozzle of the boiler, said stack and nozzle being connected to and opening into the smoke box, said stack and nozzle being disposed in inner endwise aligned spaced relation, a vertically disposed hanger plate within and fixed to the box transversely of the latter in forward spaced relation with respect to the stack and nozzle, depending below the bottom of the stack and extending to a point disposed intermediate the ends of the nozzle, said plate being formed with a relatively large opening, a vertically disposed baffie plate within and transversely of the box and having a lower edge V-shaped in front elevation, a pair of oppositely disposed wings of triangular form integral at their rear with said lower edge and disposed at an obtuse angle to the front side of said baffle plate, said wings having their widest portions outermost and their smallest portions innermost and merging with the convergent portions of said lower edge, a horizontally disposed supporting bar secured to the lower part of the forward face of the hanger plate, means for securing said bar to the hanger plate, and means for securing the baffle plate to and in depending relation with respect to said box.

4. A draft controlling means for a locomotive boiler comprising the smoke box, the stack and nozzle of the boiler, said stack and nozzle being connected to and opening into the smoke box, said stack and nozzle being disposed in inner endwise aligned spaced relation, a vertically disposed hanger plate within and fixed to the box transversely of the latter in forward spaced relation with respect to the stack and nozzle, depending below the bottom of the stack and extending to a point disposed intermediate the ends of the nozzle, said plate being formed with a relatively large opening, a vertically disposed bafile plate within and transversely of the box and having a lower edge V-shaped in front elevation, a pair of oppositely disposed wings of triangular form integral at their rear with said lower edge and disposed at an obtuse angle to the front side of said bafile plate, said wings having their widest portions outermost and their smallest portions innermost and merging with the convergent portions of said lower edge, a horizontally disposed supporting bar secured to the lower part of the forward face of the hanger plate, means for securing said bar to the hanger plate, and means for securing the baffle plate to and in depending relation with respect to said box, said stack having a flared lower end, said baflle plate having convex edges, and said wings having convex outer end edges.

5. A draft controlling means for a locomotive boiler comprising the smoke box, the stack and nozzle of the boiler, said stack and nozzle being connected to and opening into the smoke box, said stack and nozzle being disposed in inner endwise aligned spaced relation, a vertically disposed hanger plate within and fixed to the box transportions outermost and their smallest portions innermost and merging with the convergent portions of said lower edge, a horizontally disposed supporting bar secured to the lower part of the forward face of the hanger plate, means for securing said bar to the hanger plate, and means for securing the baffle plate to and in depending relation with respect to said box, said wings inclining downwardly throughout from said outer 10 to their inner ends.

ARTHUR G. LANGSTON. 

